Carry Me Home
by bisexualcharliedavis
Summary: Having a crush is harder then people make it sound. (Mattie/Charlie)


A/N: Well, in my defense, I've never actually been in a relationship. fun fact: Cate Wolfe is only 5 ft tall, and Charlie Cousins is about 6 ft. So here's some long time comin shippy fluff.

"What are you all dressed up for?" Mattie asked, leaning on the counter from the hallway side of the cut out in the wall. Charlie knocked back the last of his water to look down at his clothes. Didn't look too dressed up to him. Shorts, shirt, canvas shoes. He gave her a slightly quizical look. "That's a joke." She helpfully informed him. "Going for a run?" Charlie scoffed slightly at his own incompetence.  
"Yes." He replied. "You should try it some time, clears the mind." He said, rinsing his cup out and setting it on the drying rack.  
"Are you saying I have a cluttered mind?" She questioned, Charlie nodded yes. She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll come with you then." Charlie gazed at her skeptically.  
"Do you own running clothes?" She pauses.  
"Not really but I'm sure I can find something. Worst comes to worse I can burrow some from you."  
"I'm a foot taller then you." She poked her tongue out at him, which he responded too by rolling his eyes.

"I'll find something." She insisted, before turning and walking off. Charlie watched her go, with slightly raised eyebrows.

She returned about ten minutes later in what was probably the most thrown together running outfit he'd ever seen. "What do you just not exercise?" He asked, leaning with one elbow on the sink. She huffed slightly, and carefully secured her hair back from her face with a red headband.  
"I'm a nurse, I hardly have time." She defended, before turning slightly. "Like what you see?"  
"I like the headband with the bow better." he replied, after a moment. Mattie looked at him for a moment, before shaking her head.

"Out of all the things I expected you to say, that wasn't it." She sighed, finally.

"I pride myself on being unpredictable." He smiled, "Are you ready?"

"I suppose." She said, after a moment. "You gonna drive us to the lake?"  
"Why would I do that?"  
"Isn't that where you're meant to go walking?" She asked, taking a moment to glance at his rather well defined legs. Charlie scoffs.  
"I suppose. I usually walk there."  
"And then go for a jog?" She questioned. "I knew you were fit, but I didn't know you were a super human." Charlie smiled and then collected his keys from the side table in the hall. She smacked him in the arm. "Charlie!" She exclaimed, as he tucked them away.

"Gotcha." He replied, before holding the door for her. She looked at the door, and then to him, and then walked though with a slight grimace.  
"You are awful." She told him, as they walked to the police car sitting in the driveway. "And I thought you were telling me just yesterday that you weren't supposed to use these for personal use." She said, as Charlie held the door for her again. "Thanks."

"Well." He said, before going around the back of the car and coming to the front, followed by his sliding into the passenger seat, "What Munro doesn't know won't hurt him." He said. Mattie finds herself eyerolling again.

"I don't know if that's going to hold up at a corruption hearing." She retorted.  
"Lucky for me, he will never find out."

"Well I know, don't I? I could give testimony about you." She said, as he pulled the car out of the driveway.  
"I'd kill you before that happened." Charlie replied, in such a tone that Mattie's not sure that he's joking. She'd never known Charlie to be so morbid before, but then again, he realized, she's never spent too much time with him in general, and knew very little about him as a person. Maybe he was morbid and she just didn't know.  
"I'd like to see you try." She replied, in a rather dignified way. Charlie makes his trademark scoff again, and turns the car around the corner.

"Well don't tell on me and you won't have too." He replied, with a little smile.

"You have such a stoic persona, you know that?" She asked, "I bet under all that grim 'I'm a police man and I do police man' stuff, you probably have a sense of humor. I'm pretty sure you just tried to tell a joke."

"I must have a sense of humor if I'm letting you try and jog." Was his somewhat belated reply, she burst out laughing that time,  
"Wow Charlie, you're just letting it all go tonight, aren't you?" She asked, as he clicked on the blinker and turned left.

"I wouldn't say that." He said, as they returned to driving straight down the road. She scoffed herself this time, and took a moment to wonder at what point she'd stopped seeing him as 'Davis, the man who thought he was a hot shot on the trail of being the next Superintendent, and very much not Danny and rather 'Charlie, the loser who got homesick, listened to awful music, took long showers, made good roast vegetables and watched Game of Champions with her (even if he hated it)'

Conversely, in the peaceful quiet, Charlie himself wondered at what point it was, in the last few months, that Mattie had stopped being 'O'Brain' and become 'Mattie' to him. He spared a slight glance at her profile and was again, as he always was, slightly impressed with her face. Beautifully symmetrical, honestly, if he took a knife down the center of her forehead, he'd probably have matching halfs. He wonders at what point he'd become so morbid as well. He doesn't remember thinking about any other woman he's ever known like that. Then again, he hadn't admired the faces of the women he'd known before her. Except Beatrice, but she had a little locked box in his neatly organized memories where his memories of her stayed and he had no intention of opening it here in the car with a girl he might fancy.

That was a strange thought. Did he fancy Mattie O'Brian? Well. Maybe. He'd let her come with him, hadn't he? Even if he knew there was no way she would be able to keep pace with him, and even if he preferred to go and run on his own. He just generally preferred being on his own in general, really. He was a loner, always had been. It felt strange when he wasn't on his own, really. He also wonders at what point alone has just become part of his personality.

He pulled the car to a stop by the lake, but not that close that either of them could actually go up to it. Steping out of the car, he went around opened the door for her. He gave him a slightly confused look. "Is there something on my face?" He asked, as she slowly stood.

"Yeah. Your face." She replied, before laughing at her own joke, and despite himself, he scoffs lightly at her. Alright. That was pretty charming, he has to admit to himself.

"Oh thanks." He replied. "Might I remind you that I am also your ride home." He said, shutting the door behind her.  
"What? You going to leave me here?" She asked, as they walked towards the walking track.

"Maybe." He replied. "You ready?"  
"Where are we jogging too?"

"I usually do a few laps of the lake." He replied. Mattie punched him lightly in the arm

"Funny." She grumbled. "Where do you actually go?" She asked, as he started stretching.

"Just follow me." He replied, grabbing the back of his foot, and pulling it back so it touched his lower back. Mattie followed his hands with her eyes, and then looked back at him, attempting to mimic the movement.

"You're quite flexible" She said, after a moment. Charlie glanced over his shoulder at her.  
"I suppose." He replied.

Suddenly, Mattie was reminded of why she didn't know Charlie very well. He was virtually impossible to hold a conversation with. Dropping in and out of his own free will, conversations with Charlie seemed to consist of aborted statements and half finished thoughts. He rarely contributed to conversation at dinner, and spent more time alone in his room then with the rest of them. Perhaps he was just used to being alone. She wonders why that would be.

But not for too long because they're off. She remembers, quite suddenly, that he hates running, but Charlie was right. (A first) it did give her a lot of time to think. Did she like Charlie Davis? Well, she thought he was alright, but did she actually LIKE him. And she came away with….She did. Shockingly, she did actually like Charlie Daivs. She liked his stoic side, she liked his aborted attempts at humor side. She liked his behind in those shorts. She liked the way he smiled, and the way he scoffed. In general, she liked Charlie Daivs.

She was also fairly sure that Charlie Davis liked her. He let her come along, he seemed to be jogging half as fast as he usually would so that she could keep up with him. Even so, it was hard to tell with Charlie Davis. Almost impossible, really. He was hard to read, unable to be pinned down as any one personality type. She was also fairly sure that he liked it like that as well, given his reluctance to share information about his life with her.

All she knew about him, and about his life in Melbourne was that he came from what could only be described as the opposite to her. She knew he came from the 'bad' side of town, his mother worked in a dry cleaning store and that he'd spent a small amount of time in Brisbane a few years ago.

Charlie considered, as he ran that he knew very little about Mattie. She liked politics and medicine, one of those things he could barely comprehend on a good day (Medicine) and one he literally could not care less about if he tried (Politics) she studied social work, was good with kids and once dated a communist. (and if his interview with her was anything to go buy, she had a much more interesting intimate life then he did) But even so, people aren't meant to know everything about one another. Anyway. She came from the 'good' or at least, livable, part of Melbourne, went to a private school and lived in a big house. (If her photos were anything to go by) He felt like the opposite side to a coin. He lived in a two bedroom flat with his three younger brothers and mother, attended the closest public school (the sort that didn't even have an oval but rather, an air strip). He felt a hand on his arm and looked at Mattie who was red faced and panting quite badly.

He didn't even look ruffled, she thought, as Charlie turned to face her. Not one single wavy hair on his head seemed out of place and he was only panting lightly, breathing though his nose and keeping it even. Bastard. "Can...Can we stop?" She asked, Charlie looked in front of him and she thinks that that may be disappointment in his eyes but he nods.

"There's a bench about a hundred meters ahead of us." he promised, and to his credit, he was right. They stopped, and she dropped herself heavily onto the hard wood. He remained upright. When she caught her breath, he lowered himself next to her, and she lent out, poking him in the cheek. She notices that he's lost almost all his baby fat since she'd known him. She thought he'd had a distinctly more rounded face when they first met, now it was sharper and he had a jawline you could cut yourself on. "God you're so life like." She panted softly. Charlie frowned slightly, and moved her hand away.

"Damn. My cover's blown. Now you know that I'm actually a robot in disguise." He said, with a soundless laugh.

"Well, I won't tell." She promised.  
"Thanks." He replied, "You look a bit tired." He said. She rubbed her hands over her face and scoffed at him.

"A bit?" She asked, "You don't even look ruffled."

"I run a lot." He offers in reply.  
"When did you start? In the womb?"  
"I was six, actually. I wanted to win prize at the school competition, make my Daddy proud."  
"Did you?"  
"No." A pause, "But I got a participation medal."

"Was he proud you tried?" Charlie looks distinctly uncomfortable for a moment, before shaking his head.

"No. Not really." He said, finally. "But that hardly matters." He dismissed, "That was over twenty years ago." He said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Oh." She replied. Her father would have been proud of her for trying. She knew that much. "Well. You're much faster now."  
"I sure am." He said, "I got you beat, Miss O'Brain." he said, with a wide smile.

"You certainly did." She replied, before tilting her head onto his shoulder and sighing. "I'm beat.' She mumbled.  
"You look it." He replied. She rolled her eyes into his shoulder.  
"Rude." She grumbled.

"Always was." He said, slightly cheekily. She looked up at him and then shook her head.  
"What?" He asked.  
"Just...You. That's all."  
"Okay. Me."  
"You." She agreed. "You seem like..Such a nice boy. Why do you have to be so stoic all the time? Why won't you let us get to know you?"  
"Maybe there's nothing to know."  
"There's always something to know." She told him, seriously. He looked up and then looked back to her.  
"Because I fancy you. There. I said it."  
"You fancy me?"  
"Mmhm. Happy now?"  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
"Seemed to cliché. Borderline attractive lower middle class boy lower upper class girl."

"Is that what you think of me?" She asked, softly. She hadn't been aware that she'd come across like that.

"You've got it all. You have excellent facial symmetry, money, brains..." He listed, with a little smile. "And I have...Well I don't have any of that. Anyway. Aren't with you with Beville?" He asked. "Seems like a handsome well educated young man.'

"I'm not with anyone." She said, softly. "And no, not anymore." She said, softly. "Is that really what you think of yourself?"She asked, but didn't wait for a response. "You think I wouldn't be interested in you because you like on the opposite side of town or because of the school you went too? Jesus Charlie. What happened to make you think that about me?" She asked, "Do you know anything about my personality?"  
"I know you have a dominant personality type, I know you're compassionate to the struggle of your fellow humans. I know that you like to help people and that you don't let anyone tell you what to do or think. You're a good person." He admits, finally.

"And what do you think of yourself?" She asked, almost hesitantly.  
"I have a weaker personality type, but not a submissive one. I don't understand empathy very well. I'm easily influenced and can't hold a conversation to save myself."

"All of those are true points, but none of that matters to me." He tilted his cheek onto her head.  
"Really?"

"Really." She said. "You're a police man. You help people. You understand people a lot better then you think you do. You're loyal and kind and I know you have a big heart. Somewhere." she said, "And you're smart too. Most people wouldn't know about personality types. Couldn't do crosswords for fun. Solve mysteries 'just cause'. You're so much smarter then you think and you really thought that I wouldn't fancy you because you're not from an upper class family?"

"Yeah." He replies, after a moment. "I take it that this is a no?"  
"I didn't say that." She replied, softly. A drop of water splattered on her nose.  
"Rain." He said, looking up to the sky, and then standing. "Time to go." He decided.

"Carry me?" She asked, from the bench.  
"What? "  
"Carry me back to the car...I'm too tired to walk."  
"No." He replied, with a roll of his eyes.  
"Please?" She asked, and after a moment, Charlie knelt in front of the bench, back towards her. Mattie reached around and fastened her wrists together, and he stood, hooking her knees though this arms and holding onto her thighs.

Okay. She was pretty light, and almost a foot shorter then him so maybe he shouldn't complain, after all, she did just let him spill his guts to her without saying too many angry things so maybe things weren't so bad. But he was still putting in his transfer requests as soon as possible, he thought as he treked towards the blue car.

He walked nicely. After a moment, Mattie rested her forehead on the back of his, finding the hair on the back of his pleasantly free from wax and quite soft. She decided to only shut her eyes for a moment, and enjoy the ride back to the car.

He hoped the door with one hand, quite skillfully, before depositing her in the backseat. "Mattie." He said, softly, shaking her gently. "Mattie." he said, as she opened one sleepy eye to look at him. "We're going home now." he promised, before buckling her into the car. Mattie studied his face, now that it was so close to her, and noticed how pale he was in comparison to herself.  
"I can hear you breathing."She said, quietly.  
"Wonderful deduction." He mumbled. She leant forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. A pink sort of colour that she'd never seen before rose in his cheeks. He was blushing.

"You're blushing." She whispered.  
"You kissed me." he defended.

"Well you're a hopelessly romantic loser ad you deserved it." She replied. He smiled blindingly at her, and then actually laughed. A real laugh, not a scoff, before snorting rather suddenly. She started laughing at him as he tried to get himself under control. He removed himself from the car and went around to the drivers seat, and starting the car, almost under control as he reversed out of the driveway.

"On the lips, next time please." He quipped.

"What lips?" She asked, as he reversed out of his parking spot.

"Rude." He scoffed.

"It's true." She replied.

"Hey Mattie?"  
"Yeah?"  
"You're a loser."

"I know."


End file.
